Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-29
over q mile through the woods.
There is not much hope for q boy like
tins, although his parents had him
christened Hope in his infancy.
REMARKABLY PROGRESS.

What Deaf, Dumb and Blind Boy has Bsea
Taught. @s}
From the Hartford Courant. : 49,, 59=
The closing exercises of the Ameri
can Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb
were held recently. When the other
exercises were over, little Albert No
Ian went up to the stage. He is a
very bright boy, who, like Laura
Bridgman, is deaf dumb and blind.
He was born deaf and lost his sight
at the age of 4 years. He is hand
some little fellow, wonderfully quick
IN his movements, and full Of intelli.
gence: Principal Williams told how
his education was begunwhen he came
to the asylum last fall. At first vari-
Gus articles were marked with their
names in raised letters, as shat"
ball." etc., and he soon learned to
pick out corresponding letters, when
one Of these articles was put
in his hand. They supposed
that he associated the letters and the
articles, but after five weeks were sat-
isied that this was not the case; that
all he recognized was the similarity OF
the letters themselves. Then, all at
once, he seized the idea of correspond
ence between the articles themselves
and the names that represented them.
Then he began to make great progress.
Now he has vocabulary of over 800
words, which he uses with understand
ing. He writes them legibly, spells
them on his fingers with wonderful
rapidity, and makes the correspond
ing signs. He converses by signs
with the other pupils, among
whom he is a pet, and goes all about
the building, not showing clumsiness,
never making a mistake.
Now tor one or two Illustrations
! out Of the many that were afforded OF
| what he can do. Mr.. Williams stood
by him and spelled on his fingers, $50
to the window" The boys hand was
against that of Mr.. Williams, and he
recognized by feeling each letter as it
was formed. Instantly he repeated the
order and they walked to the window.
In the same way he was told to open
and shut it, to bring water from glass
on the table, to break stick that lay
there and many other things. Then
| he repeated in signs sentences that
were spelled to him, containing adjec-
tives and transitive and intransitive
verbs, the translation into signs fol-
lowing instantly on the spelling of the
! sentences. Then he was given SEN
fences printed in raised letters on slips
OF cardboard. His fingers moved ov-
er the letters with astonishing speed,
and as soon as he reached the end he
spelled the sentence on his fingers, let
ter by letter, and thengave it again in
the sign language, accurately, grace
fully and promptly. He was given de-
tached words printed in raised letters
and arranged these into sentences,
hardly ever making mistake in con-
struction. He also writes legibly such
words as he has learned. The ad-
vance that he has made in these few
months is simply astonishing. His d.
rect instruction has been chiefly by
Miss Flora Moves Of Franklin, New
Hampshire, graduate of the asy-
lum two years ago. 1t is impossible
| in few sentences to give any adequate
idea of what has been accomplished in
breaking down the wall of isolation
raised by his triple misfortune and
giving opportunity to an unusually
active mind to establish relations with
| or hers